1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safety belt anchorage assembly and, in particular, to an anchorage assembly which simultaneously exhibits sufficient flexibility in a lateral direction to permit a passenger to slide thereover and sufficient rigidity in at least one perpendicular direction to permit one-handed coupling of the safety belt and anchorage assembly.
2. History of the Art
One type of safety belt assembly for automobiles typically comprises a flexible strap which extends from a floor anchor behind the seat on one side of a passenger and around his waist to an anchorage asseembly on his other side. The strap and anchor assembly are each provided with interlocking coupling devices, such as a conventional tongue and buckle, for securing the strap around the passenger.
A troublesome problem with this type of arrangement is that it requires the use of two hands to buckle. Thus, if a driver forgets to buckle up before he starts driving, he cannot safety remedy that oversight until he stops his car.
One proposed solution to this difficulty is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,293 issued to Jonathan Sharp on June 28, 1966. The Sharp patent discloses, in connection with a waist-type belt on a single seat, a rigid connector arm arranged to permit the belt to be fastened with one hand and to prevent the arm from falling out of the side door when not in use.
The rigidity of the Sharp connector, however, presents difficulties in numerous applications where the passenger must move past the connector to enter or leave his seat. Such a connector, for example, cannot be comfortably used in the intermediate portions of a multiple-passenger seat. It would not deflect when a passenger slides or is jostled into contact with it. Accordingly, there is a need for a connector arrangement which simultaneously exhibits flexibility in a lateral direction and stiffness in at least one perpendicular direction.